The Devon Bay was loaded with iron ore and heading for Yangjiang, China, when contact with her was lost on Thursday night, 22 January 2026. By the early hours of Friday the Singapore-flagged cargo ship had capsized in the South China Sea with 21 Filipino crew aboard. Two sailors were dead and four were missing.
The Philippine Coast Guard said the vessel had left Gutalac, Zamboanga del Sur. It tilted at about 25 degrees when it reached a point 141 nautical miles west of Sabangan Point, Ango Bay, and went over. Spokesperson Captain Noemie Guirao-Cayabyab said the coast guard got a distress call from the ship’s agent at around 8:30 PM on 22 January. Its first vessel set out, but waves and current were strong.
Chinese ships get there first
Help came from the other side of a long-running dispute. The China Coast Guard said its own distress call came at 1:34 on 23 January, relayed from the Maritime Search and Rescue Center of Sansha City in Hainan Province. It put the capsizing about 55 nautical miles northwest of Scarborough Shoal, which China calls Huangyan Dao. Al Jazeera, citing China’s Ministry of National Defense, said two coastguard vessels went to assist, about 100 kilometres northwest of the shoal.
The Southern Theater Command said on Weibo that the Chinese rescuers pulled at least 17 Filipino sailors from the water. Fourteen were in stable condition and one was being treated. Two others were dead. The Associated Press reported that the ship had been bound for Guangdong province.
“The Philippine Coast Guard appreciates all parties involved, especially the passing Chinese Coast Guard vessel who exerted effort to render assistance to our countrymen,” Guirao-Cayabyab said. She added that the coast guard was still verifying the reports of two deaths.
The Philippines sent the BRP Teresa Magbanua, the BRP Cape San Agustin and two aircraft to search for the four men still missing.
An unsettled stretch of sea
The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore confirmed that the bulk carrier sank while heading for Yangjiang. “As the vessel’s flag state, MPA is in contact with the ship owner and relevant search and rescue authorities, and is providing support as required,” it said. It will investigate the sinking.
The rescue happened near water both countries claim. China took control of Scarborough Shoal in 2012 after a standoff and has kept its coastguard and fishing vessels there since. A 2016 ruling by the Permanent Court of Arbitration in The Hague rejected China’s sweeping claims and affirmed the shoal as a traditional fishing ground. China rejected the ruling. Ships from the two countries meet there often.
Sources
- At least 2 sailors dead after cargo ship sinks in disputed South China Sea | News | Al Jazeera
- MV Devon Bay: Search Continues For Missing Seafarers | PhilNews
